What it means to be a Puella Magi
by AmethystRibbonKnight
Summary: Io knows what dangers there are in being a Puella Magi, he understood that Ryuu used his wish to keep him from becoming one and save his life. But Io didn't expect it to end so soon. (aka. Io watched Ryuu die five times, and one time he didn't)


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BINAN OR MADOKA MAGICA, THEIR JUST SOME OF MY FAVORITE ANIME

One: Mercy

"Darn it, Cin" Ryuu breathed he was battered after a fight with Cin's witch form, she was unable to obtain enough seeds to purify her gem

"I can't believe it" Yumoto said crying

"At least, we survived and she didn't have stay like that for long" Ryuu said, blood was dripping from his forehead

"You okay Ryuu?" Io asked, he was concerned even if they knew about it

"Yeah, fine. I won't die" Ryuu said his partner Jihi was still crying

"Ji, it'll be fin-" Ryuu was cut off as an arrow shot right through his soul gem, shattering and he fell to the ground, back in his uniform, and dead

"Jihi!" Io yelled in shock she was crying as she held her crossbow

"If that's the fate we face. Then I'm not letting him get corrupted, and I myself, must as well" Jihi cried in despair as she shot the gem on her forehead with the bow, her weapon dematerialized and she too fell down dead

"No, no, no" Io was crying now, as of all of them

"As I said, their soul is now lost for it cannot survive outside the gem" Kyubey said

Two: Sanity

It started two weeks ago, Ryuu was suffering from some kind of magical virus turning his skin black and giving him nightmares. Then they found the witch, it had gotten Atsushi, Yumoto, and Arima as well. Io and the others were stuck behind the forcefield wall Ryuu and had put up between them and him and the witch

"Ryuu! Let us help, we can do something!" Io yelled he was horrified

"I'm fine, I not going to let her hurt you" Ryuu growled, the black material spread to half his body,

"Come at me!" Ryuu yelled as he attacked the witch, he was constantly being pushed back by dark tendrils. He got a few hits off, but he cannot get to her. One tendril got lucky and hit him in his neck, he was knocked back and banged against the forcefield

"Ryuu!" Io yelled he saw it, his soul gem was cracked pulsing weakly

"I understand" Ryuu breathed as he struggled to get back up, as his bracelet also pulsed desperately

"She is the Despair witch, only those who can get close, are those who lose their sanity" Ryuu breathed he gripped his bracelet

"Guys, I'm sorry, but I can't let you die" Ryuu said tears falling down hi face

"Ryuu! Don't!" Io yelled as Ryuu had magic in his hands, and tore the bracelet off, the metal was jagged and cut his wrist and started to bleed. It clank on the ground and the glow died

"What did you do Zaou!" Wombat yelled, even he couldn't break the barrier

"It's was the only barrier against the venom. Now I will lose my sanity, but I will kill her" Ryuu said as the black material covered his body and his eyes turned red

" _ **DiE**_ " Ryuu attacked, not held back, he just swung and sliced the witch to pieces, the Venom did vanish from their friends bodies, he was laughing crazily

"Now my turn!" Ryuu laughed and stabbed his blade against his gem and broke it, and he fell dead

"Ryuu!" Io yelled he was crying, he cried so much that night

-###########

Three: Promise

It was the end of Walpurgis night, Noctis fell out of the maze, Ryuu held in her arms both beaten as they fell to the ground

"Noctis-san! Ryuu-senpai!" Yumoto called as they ran over to them, Noctis' soul gem wasn't badly used up, they could barely see the corruption, but she was crying. They turned and noticed Ryuu in his uniform, grunting as his soul gem was swirling angrily with black corruption

"Ryuu! Noctis! What happened?!" Io asked

"Ryuu, used the last of his magic, I was saving my grief seed for him, but it was knocked out of my hand and sucked away my corruption before getting destroyed. His corruption is too bad, he will turn!" Noctis yelled, tears streaming down her face

"Remember our promise" Ryuu breathed

"Promise?" Io asked as Noctis held out her crossbow

"He made me promise, that I would destroy his soul gem before he turned into a witch" Noctis said as she pointed it at his soul gem which started to crack

"No! You don't have to kill him, we can save him, I'm sure" Atsushi said

"You can't! No amount of love magic can reverse entropy like this, I'm sorry but, it's his wish" Noctis said

"Ryuu-senpai ….." Yumoto breathed as Ryuu smiled and chuckled at him,

"I did say goodbye, right?" Ryuu said smiling

" _I-I don't remember, I just remember now_ " Io thought

"Please Noctis, take care of them" Ryuu said

"I promise, I won't let you down!" Noctis announced as she closed her eyes and pulled the trigger

 _ **SNAP!**_

The arrow shot right through his soul gem, and his eyes faded away, he no longer moved. They all, just stood there and cried, cried, Io cried so many times now, why did he have to die?

##########

Four: Trapped

Io looked around he was with Helia, only the two of them. He went to visit Ryuu in Mikihara and got himself trapped in a maze, Helia luckily jumped in. Now they were trying to hunt the witch

"You okay?" Helia asked as he was also transformed

"Yeah, fine. I wish that I could be more help, but this magic isn't strong enough I guess" Io sighed

"It's fine, only magic strong enough is given by Incubators and powered by your soul. Be honest, I would've liked to make a contract with that Wombat guy" Helia said

"It's wouldn't say contract, he just kinda appeared and put this thing on us. We really didn't get a say" Io said

"Still better than knowing that you turn into a monster someday" Helia said as she head something collapse, they ran over to see a bit of black fabric buried under stone rubble. She removed the stones only to see a familiar pink haired boy

"Ryuu!" Io dashed past her and pulled him iut, checking for a pulse

"No! No" Io breathed rapidly

"I'm sorry" Helia said

"What?" Io asked between sobs

"If only I found it before, I may have saved him. Luckily he won't be a missing person forever, I'll kill the witch, and we can take his body home for a proper farewell" Helia said

"Right" Io breathed

#########

Five: Change

Io and the others ran after Ryuu as he dealt the finishing blow to the witch. Somehow the grief seed fell into the abyss of the maze as they got sucked out. All of them landed back on the pavement of an alleyway.

"Ryuu you okay?" Io asked as he saw Ryuu panting, he de-transformed and clasped his soul gem

"You guys need to run, now" Ryuu said

"Why? What's going on?" Yumoto asked as Ryuu revealed his soul gem, the dark corruption swirling angrily inside, trying to burst

"My magic, the grief seed was lost. I'm going to turn any minute now, you need to leave and find the others" Ryuu said

"You are coming with us, and we can find help" En said as he tried to grab Ryuu's arm, only for him to pull away

"Go!" Ryuu yelled as his soul gem cracked

All of them got blasted away as Ryuu's body went limp, the wind produced from the broken gem pushing his body near them. The world was engulfed again, by tall dark buildings, castle towers, and fire like pink patterns over the ceiling and sky.

The gem manifested and formed a massive red-orange half human half dragon form. A human face hidden behind a knight helmet, armor plating on it's body and arms, while it was stationary with two dragon legs, and a thick red tail, winds adorned the knight's back.

They stared in shock as the being roared, smaller knights and blank mannequins of common folk ran across the buildings in the background

 _ **Witch of Protection: Praesidio Opus**_

 _ **Common folk familiar: Inutilia**_

 _ **Knight familiar: Maxime**_

"Ryuu!" Io yelled as he held onto the body tightly and closed his eyes as the being let out a fireball at them and everything went black.

###########

 _Io_

 _Io!_

 _IO!_

Io opened his eyes blurry to see Ryuu standing over him, a pink force field over them, Ryuu sighed with relief

"Wake up, thank goodness you're awake, the witch put a witch's kiss on you. Only in here you fall asleep, the others woke up too. Just stay put, it'll be quick" Ryuu said as he charged out of the field. Suddenly Io remembered, all the times he saw Ryuu die

"No!" Io yelled he was dragged back by Atsushi and En

"Calm down! He'll be fine" En said

"He won't, please, we can help him" Io said

"Look!" Yumoto called as they saw Ryuu deliver the final blow, and the maze dissolved into mist as they all fell to the ground. Ryuu grabbed the grief seed and sucked the corruption out

"Is everyone okay?" Ryuu asked

"Are you?" Io asked

"I'm fine Io, I'm more worried about you. A witch's kiss cause people to die" Ryuu said

"I'm fine. I saw you die, many times" Io said as he started to cry

"I see, something like that cause that. But It was just a dream, I don't plan on dying very soon, I promise" Ryuu said smiling

"Promise?" Io asked as he looked at him

"Promise" Ryuu said smiling

#######

 **A/N: the different names other than the main five are ocs of mine for a bigger story in this AU. Probably gonna take a while before I finish it.**

 **All of the witch names are in Latin, some may not be too accurate, I used Google translate for them since I don't have a good translative book/site**

 _ **Praesidio Opus: Need to Protect**_ _( I chose this phrase because Ryuu wished for his friends to always be safe and not have to be in a situation where making a contract with Kyubey was necessary)_

 _ **Inutilia: Useless**_ _(when Ryuu feels like his is unable to protect them)_

 _ **Maxime: Desperately**_ _(when Ryuu is frightened that he may lose them)_


End file.
